Grader



' June 26, 1934.

3. 6.1.1: TouRNEAu GRADER INVEN'TQR .GLeTou/rn/eau June 1934. R. G. LE TOURYNEAU GRADER Filed May 29, 1933 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 u m mm m INVENTOR R. GL8 Tou/rlwaw BYQ \ LLQhSL,

, ATTORNEY I June 26, 1934. R G LE EAU 1,964,360

. GR'ADER Filed May 29, 1935 s Sheets-Sheet 3 .7 1 I 3 o 3s I INVENTOR R G'.L eTo wrneajw Q I'm ATTORNEY Patented June 26, 1934 iiui'reo STATES PATENT GFFICE' GRADER I Robert G. Le Tourneau, Stockton, Calif.

ApplicationMay 29, 1933, Serial No. 673,394

7 Claims.

This invention relates to graders of the pusher or bulldozer type adapted to be mounted on and ahead of a tractor to be advanced thereby and which is usually disposedwhen in operation at a transverse angle to the'line of travel.

The principal object of my invention is to provide an implement of this character so constructed and mounted on the tractor that it may be angled to one side or the other, or disposed straight or at rig-ht angles to the line of travel; and when angled to its limit, it will project a relatively small distance ahead of the tractor so that manipulating' space is conserved and the effect of the overhanging weight which tends to unbalance the tractor is reduced to a minimum.

A further object is to provide asimple means independent of the main blade angling means to adjust the angularity of the blade in a transverse horizontal plane without afiecting the first named means and without tending to strain or twist the blade.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple an inexpensive device and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for thepurpose for which it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings similar characters of refer: ence indicate corresponding parts in the several news:

Fig. 1 is atop plan view of the grader as mounted on a tractor. Y

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical section of the blade unit taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a similar view taken on the line 4-4 oi Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged cross section of the blade supporting beam and its guide sleeve taken on line 55 of Fig.- 2. w

Fig. 6 is a plan v. :w of the sleeve and its bearing trunnion partly in section.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, the blade unit comprises a blade 1 disposed at a downward and forward slant, and removably and reversibly mounted on and bearing 'againsta heavy plate 2 having a similar slant and extending upwardly some distance above the blade. A horizontal 1 plate 3 extends rearwardly from adjacent the bottom plate 2 and the upper edge of the plate 2 and the back edge of the plate 3 are joined by a third plate 4. All these plates extend the full length of the blade and are welded together so as to form an extremely rigid yet light beam of triangular form and of relatively large dimensions in cross section. From the upper end of the plate 2 a dirt deflecting plate 5 extends upwardly with a forward concave curve to a connection with the lower corner of a cross beam 6 of a hollow construction and parallel to the blade. Side plates '7 are connected to and enclose the ends of the beams 6 and the triangular bottom beam, said side plates being also welded to the parts in contact therewith. In this manner the entire blade supporting framework is of .an extremely rigid nature such as cannot be twisted or warped by any pressures likely to be encountered in service. V

Supported from the back side ofzthe beam 6 centrally of its length is a bracket 8, having a split clamping nut 8a mounted rigid therewith and disposed with its axis vertically. A sheave 9 having a housing 9a is disposed above the bracket,

said housing, back of the axis of the sheave having a depending spindle-stud 9b engaging the nut.

From this sheave an adjustable supporting cable 10 extends upwardly and over a sheave-unit 11 mounted on a supporting frame 12 secured to and upstanding from the front end of the tractor,

which is indicated generally at 13. One end of blade is angled to one side or the other, and which could not be done if the sheave 9 were back of or'vertically alined with the spindle 9b. In operation, the spindle is clamped against turning in the nut 8a once it is swivelled to place, to prevent a pull on the cable from turning the sheave around on its offset spindle.

The blade unit is additionally supported from the tractor for controlling its angle movement by the following means. Mounted on and projecting laterally from the side frames 15 of the tractor toward its rear end are trunnions 16 engaging bearing members 17 rigid with forwardly extending sleeves 18. These members have a loose fit on the trunnions as shown in Fig. 6 so that the sleeves can swivel laterally to .some extent as well as turn in a vertical plane. Beams 19 of the sameconstructicn as the beams 6 are freely slidable in the sleeves, being mounted in any desired position in said sleeves by removable cap bolts 20 mounted in the sleeves and engaging holes 21 in the beams. Horizontal orificed lugs 22 project forwardly from the forward ends of the beams 19, which loosely engage vertical pivot pins 23. These pins are mounted in vertically spaced blocks 24 secured to the bottom triangular beam of the blade unit adjacent its ends and at its rear edge, the lugs passing between the blocks with a free clearance fit.

Uprights 25 project upwardly from the beams 19 adjacent their forward ends and are maintained in rigid non-deflecting relationship therewith by angular braces 26 between said uprights and beams and which are rigidly welded thereto. Short posts 27 are welded to and project upwardly from the uprights 25 and support adjustable eye-bolts 28 which project through the posts and are adjustably held in rigid relationship therewith by nuts 29 on both sides of the posts.

The eye-bolts loosely engage pins 30 axially alined with the pins 23, said pins 30 being mounted in blocks 31 welded in connection with the beams 6 and the side plates '7 andbet'ween which said eye-bolts pass. It will therefore be seen that the rigid plate unit is rigidly supported in vertically spaced points and at both ends by the rigid beam units. By the forward adjustment of either bolt 28 relative to the corresponding post 27, the adjacent end of the blade unit is tilted forwardly about the corresponding bottom pin 23 as a pivot or rocking point, on account of the loose fit of said pin with its lug 22. This causes the corresponding end of the blade to be tilted down relative to its opposite end as shown in Fig. 3. By an accompanying rearward adjustment of the opposite bolt 28 the corresponding end of the blade will obviously be raised so that the blade will thus be set at an angle to a transverse horizontal plane sufficient for working requirements. At the same time due to the rigid construction of the blade unit to the loose fit of the pins 23 in the lugs 22, no warping of the unit or other parts is had when such adjustment is effected.

An acute angling of the blade unit in one direction or the other relative to the line of travel, or the disposing of the same at right angles to such line is had by sliding the beams 19 in their supporting sleeves in opposite directions relative to each other and holding the beams in such adjusted position by engaging the bolts 20 with the corresponding beam holes 21.

The blade unit is then rigidly braced to the relative advanced supporting beam 19 by a diagonal brace bar 32. This bar at one end has an ear 33 swivelly engaging a pin 34 mounted in blocks 35 secured to the bottom beam unit of the blade unit centrally of its length and adjacent its rear edge, as shown in Pig. 4. The opposite end of the bar 32 is arranged for straddling engagement with either beam 19 and h s a removable pin 36 to project through a hole 37 in the beam.

It will therefore be seen that by means of this arrangement the blade unit is rigidly braced against movement relative to the supporting beams so that the latter cannot swing laterally to one side or the other. This feature enables a very close side clearance between said beams and front wheels or tracks 13a of the tractor to be had as shown in Fig. 1 without danger of contact, and without the necessity of using vertical rubbing bars on the tractor to engage said beams as is usually the case. It will also be seen that the general mounting and assembling of the parts permits theblade unit itself to be disposed at one end or the other so as to be very close to the tractor,-thus cutting down the distance to which the grader structure as a whole projects ahead of the tractor and rendering the outfit relatively compact.

' The transverse spacing between the beam supporting sleeves 18 is less than the transverse spacing between the pins 23 when the blade is angled. The beams 19 are therefore disposed in forwardly converging relation to each other. Since one beam projects some distance ahead of the other, the corresponding end of the blade is nearer the longitudinal center line of the tractor than the other end. This is an advantage, since the angularly disposed blade when engaging the ground has a tendency to shift the tractor laterally in the direction of the advanced end of the blade. With the positioning of said advanced end of the blade closer to the center line of the tractor than the other end, this shifting tendency is neutralized to a considerable extent, and the tractor is easier to steer. The end portions of the blade 1 are preferably in the form of pieces 1a as shown in Fig. l, which are separate from the main blade. This enables the ends of the blade, which on account of the normal angular setting of the blade to one side or the other, wear out quicker than the central portion of the blade, to be replaced when necessary with a minimum of labor and expense.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure 110 from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A grader for mounting on a tractor comprising a blade unit, longitudinal beams swivelly connected to the unit adjacent its ends and projecting rearwardly alongside the tractor, means supporting said beams from the tractor for swivel 120 movement and for longitudinal adjusting movement relative to the tractor and to each other, means suspending the blade unit from the tractor and a diagonal brace bar swivelly connected to the blade unit intermediate its ends and detachably connected to one or the other of the beams. 2. A grader for mounting on a tractor comprising a blade unit, longitudinalbeams swivelly connected to the unit adjacent its ends and projecting rearwardly alongside the tractor, sleeves swivelly mounted on and disposed outwardly of the tractor and in which the beams are adjustably and independently slidable whereby with adjusting movements of the beams in opposed directions the blade unit will be disposed in acute angular relation to the line of travel, and a brace bar swivelly mounted on the blade unit centrally of its ends and extending diagonally to and detachably connected to that beam which is relatively advanced. 140

3. A grader for mounting on a tractor comprising a blade unit, longitudinal beams swivelly connected to the unit adjacent its ends and projecting rearwardly alongside the tractor, sleeves mounted on the tractor for universal swivel move- 14 ment and in which the beams are adjustably and independently slidable whereby with adjusting movements of the beams in opposite directions the blade unit will be disposed at an acute angle to the line of travel, selectively operable means between v.

said unit and one beam to then hold said unit rigid with the beams, and means suspending the blade imit from the tractor.

4. A grader for mounting on a tractor comprising a blade, a rigid supportingframe for the blade disposed behind and upstanding from the same, means flexibly suspending the frame at the top and centrally of its ends from the tractor, longitudinal side beams mounted on and projecting forwardly from the tractor to the back of the frame adjacent its bottom and ends, loose connections between said beams and the frame some distance back of the blade, and instrumentalities between the top of the frame adjacent its ends and the corresponding beams to adjust the said frame horizontally at the top and at either end separately whereby to cause the corresponding end of the blade to be adjusted vertically.

5; A grader for mounting on a tractor comprising a blade, a rigid supporting frame for the blade disposed behind and upstanding from the same, means flexibly suspending the frame at the top and centrally of its ends from the tractor, longitudinal side beams mounted on and projecting forwardly from the tractor to the back of the frame adjacent its bottom and ends, loose connections between said beams and the frame some distance back of the blade, members rigid with and upstanding from the beams adjacent their forward ends and elements adjustable lengthwise of the beams connecting said members and the blade frame. 1

6. A grader for mounting on a tractor comprising a blade, a rigid supporting frame for the blade disposed behind and upstanding from the same, means flexibly suspending the frame at the top and centrally of its ends from the tractor, longitudinal side beams mounted on and projecting forwardly from the tractor to the back of the frame adjacent its bottom and ends, loose connections between said beams and the frame some distance back of the blade, members rigid with and upstanding from the beams adjacent their forward ends, bolts adjustably mounted in and projecting through the members lengthwise of the beams and in a horizontal plane adjacent the top of the blade frame, and loose connecting means between the forward ends of said bolts and the frame.

'l. A tractor-grader comprising, with a tractor,

a blade disposed ahead,- of the tractor, a rigid supporting frame for the blade upstanding from the blade, means swivelly connecting the blade at its ends with the tractor for movement in a vertical plane and sothat the blade may be disposed at an acute angle to the line of travel and in either direction, a sheave mounted on the front end of the tractor above the blade supporting frame, another sheave, a spindle depending from said last named sheave behindthe axis thereof, and a bearing for said spindle mounted on the frame at the top-and back and centrally of its ends and in which the spindle is adjustably clamped.

- TGURNEAU. 

